They're positionning themselves to get Alex Ovechkin and in the Straka trade they got Sergei Anshakov who is a sniper like Ovechkin

Ovechkin:Great strength in all aspects of the game. Reads the play well. Good anticipation. Plays well in both ends of the ice. Excellent Skater. Strong on his skates. Natural goal scorer. Unbelievable Quick wrist shot. Plays with a great amount of grit and determination. Ovechkin is a big, fancy goal scorer and a fancy skater with spectacular stickhandling skills. Good playmaker. He makes defenses get that deer in the headlights look everytime he touches the puck".

Anshakov: He is a powerful skater with large strides. Anshakov is also an excellent stick handler with above average puck handing ability. He has a very good shot â€“- well aimed with good power. His vision of the ice has also been spotty. Anshakov does appear to have the ability to listen to the teamâ€™s ultimate authority â€“ the coach. Anshakov has developed very well over the past two years. It is safe to say that he one of the most improved prospects from the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. However, his rise into the spotlight did not come overnight â€“ he has simply been hidden away in the depths of Dynamo Moscowâ€™s farm system.

Pittsburgh Penguins sent Kovalev to NY rangers last year and 9 other players during the season... en route to get the first overall pick, Fleury, the top ranked goalie.

This season they already traded Straka, their scoring leader, a couple a days ago. Mario Lemieux and his team don't have enough money to pay Straka but they do have big bucks to pay Fleury.

They clearly have an eye on Ovechkin. I mean, they are in a process to rebuild the team. They just repeat what made other team previuously, as Quebec Nordiques. And that is fine.

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What you seem to fail to realize is this does not guarentee Ovechkin....they seemed to be in lottery contention with or without Straka......this move was a salary dump (a really ugly salary dump but one regardless)....and though I am a huge fan of Straka, his play left a bit to be desired this season....

Pittsburgh Penguins sent Kovalev to NY rangers last year and 9 other players during the season... en route to get the first overall pick, Fleury, the top ranked goalie.

This season they already traded Straka, their scoring leader, a couple a days ago. Mario Lemieux and his team don't have enough money to pay Straka but they do have big bucks to pay Fleury.

They clearly have an eye on Ovechkin. I mean, they are in a process to rebuild the team. They just repeat what made other team previuously, as Quebec Nordiques. And that is fine.

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As mentioned in the thread above, setting yourself up just to be dissapointed in the lottery is not exactly smart.

What they are doing has less to do with draft position and more to do with plain old business survival.

No point in positioning yourself to draft high if the team isn't around in a year or two. When Lemieux turns down a raise and your rookie goalie is talking about deferring some salary and bonuses, that aint draft positioning, that's called throwing out the life raft in the hopes the team stays afloat.

Ovechkin is a right winger right? That would be great if the Pens could get because they are weak on the right side prospect wise. I'll be happy with whoever the Pens get though in what seems like a top heavy draft.

That was fine for the owner Aubut who put plenty of bucks in his pockets. And that would be fine for Lemieux too.

And to Rowdower who wrote: "What you seem to fail to realize is this does not guarentee Ovechkin....they seemed to be in lottery contention with or without Straka......this move was a salary dump "

I didn't fail. The closer you are from the bottom, the more you have chance to win the lottery. It is well known. And it is better to get the second one than, say the 15th.

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Ok, and I am saying Pitts was headed there with or without Straka, especially with Mario's nagging hip....I honestly don't think his departure will have to great an effect on the team...hell they won last night in their first game since the trade, scoring four goals (more goals than they have gotten in a game for quite awhile)....